“These kids get to go out to these showcases,” Rush said, “because a lot of these guys don’t get noticed in Grand Junction, especially as far as baseball goes. There’s no junior colleges around and one school in town with (Colorado) Mesa.”

Cosslett, a pitcher, said she, too, will have a chance to see the field her freshman season.

But, unfortunately, she won’t be seeing her high school teammates.

“I’ll miss everyone, all my teammates; I was on so many teams,” she said. “I’ll definitely come back to visit every single one of them.”

In a town of La Junta that’s smaller in population than Grand Junction, she expects sports and classes to occupy the majority of her time.

“It’s a real small town,” she said. “But it’ll give me a chance to focus on school and sports instead of everything else that happens in college.”

Cosslett batted .443 with a slugging percentage of .770 this past season.